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from his mock cash delivery to a
bank that a bright-eyed old man ac
costed him and walked along with
him.
"Messenger service, eh, Mr. Ail
ing?" he questioned.
"Yes," assented "Gerald,
v "Thought that loss of theirs would
stir up the bank," observed his 'com
panion. "Say, I guess I shall never be
able to thank you enough for that
situation you found for me."
"Oh, I was glad to be of service to
you," declared Gerald heartily.
"Dropped your inventions, have
you?"
"Until I get .a little capital ahead,
yes. Look here, drop in and see me
at my room some time soon," sug
gested the inventor with a studious
glance at the satchel Gerald was car
rying. "I'd like to show you a new
wrinkle I've devised to make the
bank messenger absolutely immune
from loss."
"Why, you interest me," declared
Gerald. "I will surely avail myself of
your invitation."
He had been going pretty regularly
to see Lucy Ward, but her father had
circumscribed these calls to once a
week now.
"It is nonsense to think of marry
ing," he declared sharply, "or even
an engagement until your salary is
materially increased and you have
enough to start housekeeping in
some substantial way."
"It's a long prospect ahead, then,"
mourned Gerald, but Lucy loved him;
he knew that, and both exerted the
virtue of patience.
Nothing of a sensational character
had happened along of his carrying
the empty money satchel. One day,
however, the bank detective came to
him.
"You needn't know it except-to
keep a firm grip on your nerve, Ail
ing," he said, "but you are being fol
lowed." "Is that so?" inquired our young
hero.
"I feel sure of it I have noticed
two suspicious-looking characters ap
parently on your trail for three con
secutive mornings now."
That evening Gerald went to visit
his friend, the inventor, for lack of
a better place to go. to. The man was
a genius and grateful to the young
bank man for past favors done.
That night he showed his gratitude
to Gerald by proving that he had
done some thinking in his behalf.
When Gerald left the inventor's
room he carried a fair-sized package,
which he took down to the bank with
him.
When he got ready to start on his
decoy route next morning he went to
a secluded corner of the bank and
placed the package in question care
fully Inside of the satchel.
A wire from it he ran through the
canvas so that its loop just clasped '
one qf his fingers.
Every morning after that for more
than a week Gerald repeated this op
eration and one eventful day there
were results.
A jam of vehicles near a crowded
court, a jostling mob around him, two
men got close up to him. One quickly
caught his arm- The other gave him
a push down the court away from
the street. Gerald Ailing smiled de
spite his peril.
''Give' up that satchel!" ordered
one of' the-men.
"Take it!" retorted Gerald accom
modatingly, and he left the loop slide
from -his finger.
Bang hang!
Ding ding ding dingr-rding
A frightful alarm of sound echoed
from inside the 'satchel two revol
ver shots, the sharp, rasping clang
ing of half a dozen bells.
The dismayed and discomfited
looters stared marvelingly at satchel
and messenger. Before they could
turn and run the bank detective was
at their side.
Gerald saw them led to a patrol
wagon, went on his way and after
banking hours was called into the
private office of the president of the
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